Lightning coach heads Down Under to spend time with wife
SARA Francis-Bayman is temporarily stepping down as head coach and director of netball at Vitality Superleague champions Loughborough Lightning, writes Jessica Northfield.
Francis-Bayman is taking an 18-month leave of absence to spend time in Australia with her new wife Stacey Francis-Bayman, who competes for West Coast Fever in the Suncorp Super Netball League.
Francis-Bayman will continue to support Lightning remotely as the side’s technical director while current assistant coach and head of Lightning pathway, Victoria Burgess, will step up into the vacated role of director of netball.
Speaking about her departure, Francis-Bayman said she had confidence in her coaching staff to continue Lightning’s success.
“It seems like a strange time to leave after winning our first championship, but it’s time for me to prioritise things other than netball,” she said.
“I know this squad are in the best possible hands with Vic and will continue building something special at Loughborough.
“I will be staying connected with the coaching team from afar and I’m massively grateful for the support I’ve received from the University to allow me to maintain those links.”
As Francis-Bayman’s successor, Burgess boasts a rich coaching CV, assisting in Lightning’s first-ever championship in 2021.
She also has experience of leading the England U17 Roses Academy side, and leading Lightning’s
Performance Pathway programme which features more than 200 of the East Midlands’ rising netball stars.
Burgess said: “I am excited and honoured to be appointed as director of netball at Loughborough Lightning in Sara’s absence.
“We have spent the last three years working collaboratively within the Lighting VNSL coaching team and building our performance pathway which has seen huge success. I am looking forward to working with our incredibly talented athletes, building on what we achieved last season and defend our championship title.
“I would like to thank Loughborough University for their continued support.”
Lightning’s 2022 title defence campaign gets under way on February 5 at Birmingham’s Resorts World Arena in the Vitality Netball Superleague (VNSL) season opener.